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On Thursday, 2nd April, we witnessed one of the most eye-catching free agency signings of 2026, as the Las Vegas Raiders secured the services of 37-year-old quarterback Kirk Cousins. The former Commander, Viking, and Falcon signs a headline-grabbing five-year $172 million deal.
Falcons Foot the Bill
While the full value of the deal is $172 million, only $20 million of that sum is guaranteed. In a sound piece of business for Las Vegas, Cousins’ former team, the Atlanta Falcons, will pay a significant percentage of his salary.
Having been released by Atlanta while still owed guaranteed money, the Raiders will pay only the veteran minimum of $1.3 million in 2026. The Falcons will pay the remaining $8.7 million of his $10 million salary for 2026. Cousins will then receive a guaranteed $10 million roster bonus from the Raiders, due to be paid in March 2027. With that type of package on offer for a player of his vast experience, Cousins had also attracted interest from the Packers, Cardinals, and Rams, but has chosen to extend his NFL career in Sin City.
An Essential Signing
On the back of a joint NFL-worst 3-14 campaign, the offseason was always likely to be a time of change in Las Vegas. As expected, Pete Carroll headed for the exit door, to be replaced by the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak.
With the head coach position filled and a busy free agency period, the one glaring hole in the squad was found at quarterback. Geno Smith is a Jet once more, while Kenny Pickett has moved on to Carolina. All of which left 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell as the only remaining signal caller on the roster. Not ideal for a franchise ushering in a new era.
The Raiders are widely expected to take Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the upcoming draft, in the hope that the ex-Indiana Hoosiers man will become the face of the franchise. However, the acquisition of Cousins brings much-needed stability to the position. Ready to start or act as a backup, Cousins is also the ideal mentor for a young quarterback with a similar skillset.
This time, at least, a high-profile draft arrival will come as no surprise to Cousins – a situation in stark contrast to his arrival in Atlanta in 2024. Back then, the Falcons blindsided Cousins when selecting Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the draft, only six weeks after Cousins signed his contract.
Mendoza the Future But Not Certain to Start
Given their need, the Raiders seem sure to take the best available quarterback in the 2026 draft. That man is 6ft 5in Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, who led the Hoosiers to a 16-0 record and a first-ever National Championship. While the 22-year-old is viewed as the future, he may not be thrown straight into the starting role.
Speaking in advance of the Cousins’ signing, head coach Kubiak outlined his preferred approach with a young quarterback, stating, “Ideally, you don’t want him to start from day one. You’d love him to be able to learn behind somebody. That’s in a perfect world. It doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes they have to play from day one, and it’s our job as coaches to get them ready to go. I think it does help the player if they can sit behind a mature adult and watch how they run the show.”
Las Vegas may also be keen to have an experienced starter in the building should Mendoza not develop as hoped. The Raiders need only look back to their most recent first-round quarterback for evidence of how quickly promise can evaporate. Selected with the first overall pick in 2007, JaMarcus Russell came with a big arm and a brilliant college CV. Three years later, work ethic concerns and erratic displays saw Russell released, never to take another snap in the NFL.
Cousins and Kubiak – A Winning Combo
Following 14 seasons in the NFL, Kirk Cousins meets the “mature adult” criteria. Significantly, he is also already familiar with Klint Kubiak, following their time together in Minnesota between 2019 and 2021. Initially serving as quarterback coach, Kubiak progressed to the offensive coordinator position, with Cousins in the starting quarterback role.
The pair worked well together in the Upper Midwest. During Kubiak’s sole season as the Vikings’ offensive coordinator, Cousins threw for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns, and earned a 103.1 passer rating. That effort propelled the pocket passer to the third of his four career Pro Bowl nods.
Third on the All-Time Money List
Raiders to sign QB Kirk Cousins. (via @RapSheet, @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/mkS4Rg3DSv
— NFL (@NFL) April 2, 2026
While not the force of old, Cousins showed he still has what it takes to win in the NFL last season. Called into action following a season-ending Achilles tendon injury to Michael Penix Jr., the veteran ended the season with a 5-3 record as a starter, throwing for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
That 2025 performance took Cousins’ career numbers to 44,700 passing yards, 298 touchdowns, and 131 interceptions. Meanwhile, his $20 million guarantee will take him past Tom Brady to become the third-highest-earning NFL player of all time, lying behind only 2025 MVP Matthew Stafford and Packers legend Aaron Rodgers.